Decentrale selectie geenszins eerlijker dan loting

In 2014, the random selection (or lottery) admission process was replaced by a decentralised selection procedure for all medical schools in the Netherlands. The argument behind this change is that it should lead to a better match between candidate and study. Also, at introduction some reasoned that this new procedure would be fairer. However, several recent studies show no evidence that a decentralised selection procedure outperforms the replaced lottery system when motivation and study results are considered. Furthermore, medical schools use their own, wide varying selection criteria, whilst having the same goal: selecting the best future doctors. Next to this, future students can only apply for one medical school each year. Medical schools show significant difference in the number of applications, which therefore leads to different odds of a student being admitted (e.g. 27 vs. 62% admission rate at most and least popular medical schools). To make the selection procedure for admission to medical school fairer, central selection for all medical schools or the option to apply at multiple medical schools each year should be considered – particularly since these are well-known aspects of the selection procedures in other countries.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.